Another Misadventure
by shieldliger001
Summary: Caleb Ward, once one of the best single trainers in Kanto, has adapted to his new life. Now he is traveling to Johto in the hopes of returning his friends to their own world. Katlyn Ward, the older sister of Caleb, has developed into a good trainer, but she is haunted by past deeds. Together they will discover the true limits of family and must find a way to keep from tearing apart
1. Chapter 1

What is up my friends?! I can't believe how long it's been since I last posted a chapter, much less a story! I have had a lot of major changes in my life and those changes kind of made me stop writing for a while. First off I moved to the wonderful state of Iowa. It's a really nice place to live especially since there isn't the same amount of hustle and bustle like in Texas. The next major change is that my little brother is about to be a dad! I am pretty psyched to meet the newest member of my family and to be an uncle. The biggest and most profound change though is that I am a Seaman Apprentice in the United States Navy! I enlisted mid-December of last year, went through boot camp from March 18th to May 10th and have been studying to become a Firecontrolman on most likely an Arleigh Burke class destroyer or a Ticonderoga Class Cruiser. With that said, I am proud to bring to you the next chapter of in the OMAA universe!

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**I love telling stories, and I'm a born storyteller. That's what I do, and that's what I want to continue to do.**

**Brynn Cartelli**

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**Chapter 1**

I was really enjoying the fresh air as we walked through the woods. The journey from Saffron City to New Bark Town was a long one, but it was easy to enjoy, especially when you didn't have to worry about curses, robots, and terrorist organizations!

I looked over our group as we walked through Tohjo Falls. There was me, Austin, Sam, Emily, Devin, and my sister Katlyn. Austin, Sam, Devin, and I had become good friends in the last few months. They had helped Katlyn save me and ultimately save Mew. I still shivered a little as I thought about those times, but I guess I didn't have it as bad as Katlyn.

She had been different since the beginning of our last adventure, or misadventure as some would call it. She used to be in college and she absolutely hated Pokémon training. In fact, she had gone from being a prissy city girl, to a serious, almost obsessed, Pokémon trainer. She had to do many terrible things to save me from a curse that had afflicted me. Some of those things I believe still haunt her. I was thankful that she had come to help. Lord knows where I would be if she hadn't of helped me. With that said, she was mostly focused nowadays, almost cold. I knew she was still hurting, but she wouldn't let me help. In time, maybe she would decide to open up to me.

The rest of our group was somewhat lighthearted. Devin and I would talk for hours about his world. Austin talked with Sam. Emily would try to talk with Katlyn, though Emily did most of the talking. Katlyn said very little though. She was still suffering nightmares and it was eating her alive.

I had to find a way to cheer her up. It was my job as her younger brother to do so. That is why I thanked God when I saw what looked to be a passage behind the waterfall. It would make for a perfect distraction.

With an evil twinkle in my eye, I pulled out the amulet that I was given for my last adventure and slipped it over my neck. I began to concentrate on my adventures as a Vulpix. The changes were sudden, I felt fur itch all over my body and three tails sprout. My muscles changed as did my bones and soon I was a full Vulpix. Luckily, my amulet shrunk down with me and my clothes and bag was stored inside the amulet as well. It turns out that Mew, made a separate dimension for holding our belongings. She had really thought of everything.

I took off for the cave at full speed, surprising the others. They called my name as they gave chase. I chuckled as they stumbled up the rocky surface of the hill and followed me into the dark cave. It was dark and very quiet.

"Caleb! What the hell are you doing running off like that?" I heard Katlyn call.

"I was trying to get you to lighten up. I thought we could take a break from walking and explore the cave for a bit._"_ I replied.

"You are an idiot! What if there were wild Pokémon here? We all know that you suck at battling!" Katlyn ranted.

"Relax! I knew that there wouldn't be any Pokémon!_"_

"How?"

"Because I would be able to smell them you moron!_"_ Katlyn was really pissing me off.

Katlyn paused for minute before she relented with a huff. By that time, the rest of our group made it inside the cave. They were wheezing for breath and looked irritated. Apparently, they didn't appreciate the exercise either.

"There better be something good in here or I'm going to shock you into oblivion." Devin threatened.

I gulped as I walked deeper into the cave. It was dark, but that wasn't a big deal with my flames. To my disappointment and horror, the cave wasn't that deep. It was barely twenty feet wide and long, with only a few cracked boulders. I walked a little deeper into the cave and noticed something odd in the very back.

"What's that?" Sam asked as he pointed to the object.

"It looks like an old radio._"_ I replied as we all gathered around it. Austin was strangely quiet as we studied the old radio. Katlyn was also silent.

"What is it?" Sam asked Katlyn.

"It's not just a radio." Katlyn said as she knelt down next to it. "This is a prototype radio transceiver that was being worked on by the R&D department in the Rocket facility."

"How could this thing be a prototype? It looks like it has been here for decades!" Emily said.

"I don't know, but I think we need to leave. This place is giving me all sorts of bad vibes." Austin spoke up.

"I agree. Let's get out of here." Katlyn concurred.

"Alright then, let's get out of here._" _I said as I began trotting toward the exit, not knowing that I had stumbled across a secret that could change the course of history.

"There it is!" Sam yelled as he took off down the road.

We had just passed the sign for New Bark town. The town was small, with only a couple of stores and restaurants that surrounded the town square. The square itself contained the Pokémon lab, a couple of houses and the city hall. Of course, we weren't interested in the other buildings. We came here only for the Pokémon lab, where the famed Professor Elm did his research on Pokémon eggs.

After our last adventure, Sam was unable to get the badges he needed to participate in the Pokémon league. Instead of waiting for the next year's tournament, Sam and I decided that we would take on Johto league instead. That gave us eight months to gather the badges we needed. It also happened to be the direction that Austin, Emily, and Devin were headed as they searched for a way back home.

"What are you guys waiting for? Come on!" Sam called as he waited outside the large lab. The rest of us, walked even slower just to get on his nerves. "You guys really piss me off sometimes, you know that?"

"Yeah, that's why we do it." Devin answered back.

"Besides, don't you know that good things come to those who wait?" Emily added teasingly.

"Just get inside." Sam said with a roll of his eyes.

The lab felt just like a doctor's office. It was plain with plain, white walls; plain, white floors, and an artificial wood reception desk. There was a single woman sitting behind the desk typing away at her computer. She looked up at us with a bored look.

"Are you here to sign up for the Pokémon League?" She asked.

"Yes ma'am. Professor Oak from Pallet Town told us that we had to come here for the registration." Sam replied.

"Alright, give me a minute to page the professor, then we will begin the registration process." the secretary said. She took a couple of seconds to page the Professor, then began digging through a file cabinet for the necessary forms. "Have you all heard about the new restrictions set by the League?"

"What restrictions?" Austin asked.

"Recently, the League has issued restrictions on the Pokémon foreign trainers can use during their first journey in Johto. Trainers from other regions may only use two Pokémon from their previous journey, until you receive your third gym badge." the secretary replied.

"That's stupid!" Sam exclaimed.

"I agree with the league's decision. The use of all six Pokémon from a veteran team puts starting trainers at an extreme disadvantage." Katlyn replied.

"Oh, I guess that makes sense." Sam muttered. "I guess its a good thing that I only have two Pokémon."

"I only have one so I am goo. Now that I think about it, Katlyn is the only one that has a full team." I added.

Katlyn shrugged indifferently, "I guess I'll talk to them and let them decide who is staying here or going home."

Katlyn turned toward the door and walked out. My heart dropped at her indifference. It was like she didn't even care anymore. Apparently the others felt the same way as Austin and Sam started toward the door as well.

"Don't, she needs to be alone." I said quietly.

"This is ridiculous!" Sam yelled as he pointed toward the door. "She's been giving us the cold shoulder ever since we left Kanto!"

"She hasn't been acting like herself for a while now. At first I thought she was mad at me for something, but I think it's something else." Emily added.

"Guys, I know whats wrong with her." I said with a sigh. "She's been having dreams."

"Dreams? What kind of… oh." Austin said as realization dawned on him. "About the Rocket base?"

I nodded. "Yeah, sometimes I wake up to her screaming. Some of the things that she had to do terrified her and the battle with Mew really shook her up. I think she may be suffering from PTSD. Of course, I'm no doctor so I don't know that for sure."

"Makes the most sense to me. Honestly surprised that she is the only one suffering we've all been through a lot." Devin said with Sam shaking his head in agreement.

"Whatever the case may be, we should give her some space." Austin said.

**Katlyn's POV**

I walked a little ways from the lab before deciding to take out my Pokéballs. As I pulled them off my belt, memories flashed through my mind of the year I had spent as a member of Team Rocket. The many terrible things I did for the sake of my brother haunted me every moment. The people I had hurt, the families I had broken up, and the Pokémon and people I allowed to be killed was sometimes too much for me to bear.

My self-pity turned cold as icy anger welled up in my chest. I ripped the Pokéballs off my belt and threw them to the ground. All four of containers popped open, releasing their occupants. The form of a Pichu, a Jolteon, an Arbok, and a Porygon burst into view.

"I see we finally made it to New Bark Town!_"_ Jack, my little Pichu, squeaked excitedly. His excited cheer thawed my heart a little.

"You must have something important to discuss with us if you are out here without the others._"_ Zan said as his amethyst eyes glanced around.

"This Unit is curious as to what Trainer Katlyn would like to discuss." Mosfet, my Porygon, chirped.

"Mistress, is Caleb or the others in danger. If they are, give me the word and I will easssily dessstroy where ever the threat may be._"_ Basilisk, my Arbok and first official Pokémon, hissed.

"We aren't in any danger, however we ran into a different problem. In order to get a trainer's license here in Johto, I may only have two Pokémon from Kanto with me." I explained. The four Pokémon seemed to deflate before my eyes.

"My presence is absssolutely required as I mussst ssstay to protect the Mistress._"_ Basil said proudly.

"Jack should go home for the time being. Now that we have a place to call home, it would be better if he stayed with your parents as we don't know what we may run into._"_ Zan suggested.

"Zan! That's not fair! You can't kick me out just because I am the youngest here! Besides, I spent a year with Katlyn when we were undercover. She and I work great together!_"_ Jack yelled angrily not realizing the pang of pain he had sent into my heart.

"This Unit would be of utmost value to Trainer Katlyn in the future. Be it through battle in the field or in cyberspace." Mosfet spoke robotically.

I knew this was going to happen. I had hoped that they would work it themselves, but it seemed that I was going to need to step in. I bent down and grabbed a stick off the ground and broke it into for pieces. "You four will draw straws. The two that have the shortest straws will go home for now."

The four Pokémon huddled around as I held the sticks for the four. Mosfet went first plucking it from my hand as if someone was going to steal it. Next Jack grabbed one letting out an audible groan as he realized it wasn't very long. Zan picked his next, not saying a word as he held it in his mouth. Finally Basil took his.

"Alright, show them." I directed.

"Using this Unit's superior processing power and the laws of probability, this Unit has obtained the longest offshoot from the Quercus alba." Mosfet sang in an almost smug way giving me its stick.

"I'm pretty sure I got the shortest._"_ Jack mumbled as he handed me his choice.

Zan and Basil stared at each other for a long time before they both dropped their sticks. Basil's eyes narrowed. He had drawn a short stick.

"You cheated!_"_ the king of snakes hissed madly, lunging at the Jolteon.

"How could I have cheated when you drew before me!_"_ Zan barked back as electricity crackled around him.

"Will you two quit it?" I yelled. "Basil, you lost; end of story! You can be pissed all you want, but you will not degrade yourself like you are now! Hell, you are a king, so stop acting like a peasant and show some dignity!"

"She is right your _Highness__. _You should lose with some dignity._"_ Zan sneered.

"Zan, so help me I will send you home too if you don't shut up!" I said with a glare.

Zan quickly complied not wanting to incur any of my wrath. I hated having to be this tough on the Jolteon, but sometimes, he just didn't know when enough was enough. The Jolteon gave me a small, satisfied smile before I returned him to his Pokéball.

He had changed drastically from the time I had first met him. He was once a very angry and hateful creature, not wanting to be anywhere near a human. At first he scared me. I thought that he would kill me if he had the chance, but as we traveled his hatred turned into exhaustion. He was still young in years but his mind was aged with experiences of pain and torment. After our previous adventure had concluded, he was energetic and happy and almost possessive of me. He would fight to the death for me if it was called for.

"Mistress, if you would allow it, I would like to return to my Pokéball._"_ Basil hissed, breaking me out of my thoughts. I nodded and returned him to the little orb and clipped it to my belt. Zan looked at me and I nodded at him and also placed him back in his Pokéball as well.

"Katlyn, are you going to be ok without me?_"_ Jack asked bashfully, his little cheeks sparking slightly.

"I'll be fine. I've got to get over my fears sometime." I whispered, though Jack didn't seem convinced.

"I know you are still having nightmares. We spent a year doing terrible things. We were told that they would have happened anyways, but it doesn't change the fact that we were the ones who did them._" _Jack paused to watch me for a few moments. When I didn't respond, he continued. _"_You aren't alone, Katlyn. I will always be there for you. Your brother and the others will also be here. They care for you deeply._"_

"Jack, I appreciate what you are trying to do, but you don't need to worry. I'll be fine." I snapped. Jack just looked at the ground.

"If you say so." he mumbled as he disappeared into his Pokéball.

I turned to head back to the lab, but was stopped by some movement behind me. There was no one around. The alley I had chosen was completely devoid of life. Goosebumps crawled all over my body as a chill shot through my spine. Something was there.

"Mosfet, use _Lock-On_." I whispered.

"_That won't be necessary, Katlyn __Ward"_ a mental thought of a psychic type Pokémon popped into my head.

An Alakazam flashed in front of me. It was sitting on the ground with its legs crossed its spoons crossed in front of it. Overall, it was an ordinary looking Alakazam. Its one defining feature was its silver mustache.

"You seem to know me. What do you want?" I asked coldly as I began to tense up.

"_A certain acquaintance of yours gave me the task of contacting you."_ the Alakazam stated.

"And who would that acquaintance be?" I asked, my suspicions beginning to rise.

"_Master Giovanni." _the psychic type confirmed stopping my heart.

"H-how? H-how does he know about me?" I asked as panic began to set in.

"_It was quite simple. He had the security forces check who had __accessed the systems just before the loss of control. When the person responsible was found to have escaped the base as well, he had her captured. My expertise was called into play and we learned that she had switched spots with you for the past year."_

"What does he want?" I said with all the calm I could muster; which wasn't much.

"_The master has a job for you. He wants you to get your Trainer's ID, then meet him in Golden Rod City by yourself."_

"And If I refuse?"

"_Let's just say that you have much to lose. After all, your family and friends don't know the __extent __you __had to go save your brother__."_

**Caleb's POV**

Katlyn hadn't come back yet. I was about to go out to find her, when the door flew open. Katlyn stood in the door, her expression cloaked, but I could tell that something was bothering her.

"Katlyn, where have you been?" I asked.

"I had to think about something! Is it to much to ask for some time alone?" she snapped.

I backed away slowly, surprised by her sharp response. Sam was about to step in when another door opened up. As the door opened, it revealed a rather tall man in a messy lab coat. He was older, possibly in his early fifties. His messy hair was light brown with slight streaks of gray. He also had a pair of thick, dirty glasses that almost hid his light brown eyes.

"I am so sorry to keep all of you waiting. I am Professor Elm. I am the head of the Pokémon Breeding Institute as well as the head of the Trainer Notarization Office." Professor Elm greeted cheerily.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Sam, this is Katlyn, Caleb, Austin, Emily, Devin." Sam replied equally as enthusiastic. "We came from the Kanto region to participate in the Johto League."

"Ah, so you are the ones that Professor Oak sent. Well then, let me give each of you a form to fill out." the Professor said with a nod as he began to rummage through his lab coat's stuffed pockets. "I know they're here somewhere."

After a few minutes, Professor Elm's secretary sighed and opened her desk. She quickly pulled out several forms and handed them to the scatterbrained professor. The Professor thanked her and proceeded with passing out the forms.

"For those of you that are applying for the permit and not the ID, be sure to mark the permit check box and to write down who you will be accompanying for the journey."

An hour later, we all were sporting our new permits and IDs. Katlyn manged get an actual trainer license due to the fact her birth day was only a couple of days away. I was a little miffed about that as I still had to wait another six months before mine would transfer over.

We wandered around town for a little bit to see the sights. It wasn't much as New Bark Town was fairly small with only the lab and a couple of historical buildings being the only real attractions in the little farm town. We did end up in a country style restaurant where we decided to discuss the next leg of our journey.

"I think we should hit the Violet City gym and the Azalea City gym as soon as possible. Those should be the fairly easy as we don't have any real disadvantage at either gym." Sam said as he folded out a map on the table.

"Except for me. Most of Elweard's attacks aren't effective against flying types." Austin added.

"Yeah but Elweard's steel typing will negate flying type moves." Sam pointed out.

"What about the Ruins of Alph and the Bell Tower. Not to mention there are several towns and cities between here and Violet City. Johto has a lot to see so we really shouldn't rush things." I said.

"I would tend to agree, with you Caleb, but at the same time, Devin, Emily and I need to get to Ilex Forest. The sooner the better. To be honest, we wouldn't be going to any of the gyms if they weren't directly in our path." Austin said as he eyed the enormous forest on the map.

"We know it might be selfish, but we have been away from home for a long time. There isn't anything left for us to do here." Devin said quietly as Emily nodded.

"We don't have to decide tonight." Katlyn said as she stood up. "I am going to head to the center and get us checked in. I'll probably be asleep when you guys get back so try to keep it down."

Katlyn walked out the door with an unusually brisk pace. The rest of us looked at each other as we tried to figure out why she had just suddenly taken off. I decided it wasn't worth fretting over so I went back to looking at the map.

"So, do we want to bypass Catallia City or do we want to stay there for a bit?" I asked.

**Katlyn's POV**

It was easy enough to get away from the group, and I was slightly embarrassed that they fell for such a lame excuse such as that. I decided to get a couple of rooms at the Pokémon center in order to keep the ruse going. Luckily, New Bark town was very small which meant that the Center was mostly vacant. The nurse allowed me sign in after I showed her my ID. After filling out a few forms, the nurse showed me to the rooms. Like every other Pokémon center, it was very spartan with only a couple of bunk beds and desks and a door which led to the bathroom. I quickly scribbled down a note telling the others not to look for me, though I knew they wouldn't listen. I sighed and went into the bathroom, placed the note on the small vanity, turned on the shower water, then exited locking the bathroom door behind me.

"That should buy me some time." I mumbled as I grabbed my stuff and left the room.

My next move was exiting the town and getting to the nearby city of Catallia. If I went the trainer route that Caleb and the others planned to use it would have taken about three days. I could call a cab, but that was something that could be easily traced. I decided on a third option. I grabbed at the pendant that hung around my neck and looked around for an alley. After finding a suitable one, I focused on the pendant and felt the waves of changes as they spread through my body like a wild fire. Feathers sprouted from my arms as I began to shrink. My arms quickly became wings and my feet became talons. Soon I had taken the form of a Fletchling.

Once my transformation was complete, all of my belongings disappeared into a portal. I gave my wings a couple of test flaps and then launched myself into the air. My human instincts screamed at me as I soared through the air, but thankfully my Pokémon instincts quickly silenced them. Turning my tail feathers, I directed myself to the west and left New Bark Town; and my friends.

"Caleb, please don't hate me for this._"_ I whispered as a tear streamed down my eye. _"_Just stay safe._"_

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So, what did y'all think? Let me know in the reviews! For those of you who are new, this is a direct sequel to my story One Misadventure After Another. If you haven't read it yet, I would suggest that you that one first, or this one won't make much sense. Also, if you didn't know, I have a YouTube channel. Search Rougeliger, and you will be able to see hours worth of gameplay, computer builds, and outdoor videos! If you guys enjoyed the chapter, be sure to hit that Favorite/Follow button. If you have anything to say be sure to leave a review. Until next chapter, shieldliger001 signing off!


	2. Chapter 2

Hey guys! Back with another chapter! This one was a lot of work, because I had so many things happening at the same time. Hopefully it is good! Anyways on with the story!

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**Even during the worst hardships, when the other things in our lives seem to fall apart, we can still find peace in the eternal love of God.**

**Armstrong Williams**

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**Chapter 2**

**Caleb's POV**

By the time we finished our strategy session, it was already well into the night. We were all exhausted and glad that Katlyn had already checked us into the Pokémon Center already. Sam, Austin, Devin, and I crowded in front of our door, pushing and shoving to get in. Meanwhile, Emily just rolled her eyes as she slipped into her own room. We all looked at each other for a second before we broke out laughing. By the way we were acting, you wouldn't be able to tell that we had all been much older than we were now. We all took a step back, allowing Austin the room he needed to open the door. Within seconds of the door opening, We all once again crowded into the doorway, eager to hit our racks. Just as soon as we hit the pillows, we passed into a fitful slumber.

Frantic knocking intruded my ears, breaking me from the loving embrace of sleep. I looked blearily at the clock and growled.

"Someone better be dying." I grumbled as I tossed off my blankets and climbed out of bed.

I was even more irritated to see that I was the only one to be awaken. I opened the door fully expecting to be yelling, I didn't get the chance as Emily shoved it open, knocking me to the ground. Before I could demand an answer, Emily was shaking the others awake.

"Emily! What the hell is going on?" I finally yelled.

"It's Katlyn," she panted. "I think there is something wrong!"

"Is she ok?" I demanded, my heart dropping into my stomach.

"I don't know!" Emily said as she started to cry.

"What do you mean? How could you not know?" Austin asked.

"I mean that she has been locked in the bathroom for nearly four hours and she won't answer me when I talk to her!" Emily wailed as she ran for the door. The rest of us followed closely behind.

"Sam, get the Nurse or whoever can get the door open!" I yelled as I burst into Emily's room.

I began to bang on the door and yell, but received no response. Soon after, Sam returned with the nurse. The nurse told us to stay back as she opened the door. As it opened, steam poured out of the room and the nurse stepped inside.

"There is no one here." she said, perplexed.

"Let me see," I said pushing my way inside. "Katlyn! Where the hell are you!"

"She's not here." Sam whispered.

"Thanks for stating the obvious, idiot!" I yelled.

"Hey guys look at this." Devin said as he handed me a soggy piece of paper.

I carefully took it. The paper had obviously been a message, but a lot of the ink had bleed together from the steam. Even though I couldn't read the note, I knew what it had said. I clenched my fist, wadding the note up and threw it across the bathroom.

"What did it say?" Sam asked.

"I'm pretty sure it was a "don't look for me" letter." I said through gritted teeth before collapsing to my knees. "Katlyn? What the hell are you doing?"

**Katlyn's POV**

The flight to Catallia was eventful and even a little chilling. Fletchling aren't exactly common in Johto, making me something of a commodity. It was something I hadn't thought about until I was nearly knocked out of the air by a lucky shot. I managed to escape before the trainer got another shot. With that bit of new found knowledge, I started to fly closer to trees and other objects that would give me cover. Luckily, there weren't many other trainers out.

Catallia was a beautiful city. The old architecture and waterways gave the city a rich atmosphere unfortunately I wasn't here to sight see. I flew straight toward an old clock tower where I could get a look at the whole city.

I was looking for the airport, I had Mosfet with me, so money and reservations were no trouble. Hell, he get me a pilots license if I really wanted one. After a few seconds scanning the ground below, I found the airport. It was small, only able to handle the smallest of jet liners, but it would suffice. I just needed to get to Golden Rod as soon as I could. I didn't have a clue as two what Giovanni wanted, and I really didn't want to know. Unfortunately, I knew something like this would happen eventually. If not by Giovanni, then by someone else within the Rocket organization.

A short flight later, and I was in an alley across from the airport. I quickly transformed and checked to make sure everything was back to normal. There had been a few incidents where the others still had tails or in my case feathers. I grabbed my belongings and went through the process of airport security.

"Your seat is on row A seat twenty." a stewardess said with a smile as she handed me the ticket. "Enjoy your flight and thank you for choosing Johto Regional Airline."

"I wonder how much they get paid to say that crap?" I muttered as I shuffled away from the ticket booth.

"According to this Units research, flight attendant makes on average 35,000 dollars per twelve months." Mosfet chirped.

"That was rhetorical," I snorted. "Get back into your Pokéball before you cause a scene.

"This Unit notices that other people also have Pokémon by their side."

"Mosfet, you are a floating security risk. An airport cop sees you and he will immediately arrest us." I said through gritted teeth.

"This Unit has evaluated Trainer Katlyn's statement and concurs. This unit will return to its containment device." Mosfet said with a sad chirp.

"That thing is getting more cheeky by the moment." I sighed.

**Caleb's POV**

The nurse called the police, though we all knew they couldn't do anything. Since there weren't any signs of kidnapping and since Katlyn was a trainer, there wasn't anything the police could do. They apologized, and wished us luck in finding her, but that was it.

"Lawrence, we are going to need that nose of yours." I said as I tossed the Pokéball. Lawrence had never been a captured Pokémon until just recently. He had been my best friend since I was little so there was no need for the device. Unfortunately our last adventure changed that and now he spent most of his time inside his Pokéball.

As the ball spilled its light, the form of a Vulpix began to take shape. As the light faded, my old friend stood up shaking his head. He looked at me, then looked at the others.

"What's going on? You know that it is the middle of the night right?_"_ he grouched lightly.

"Katlyn is missing." I whispered.

"What do you mean she is missing?_"_ Lawrence asked slowly.

"I mean she ran off! She is gone and we have no idea where she could have possibly gone!" I yelled clenching my fist.

"_Is there anything I can do?"_ a childish voice asked.

"Nobody invited you here! Go back to sleep!" Sam growled as the young Mew flashed out of his own Pokéball.

MK was the son of Mew and is one of the reasons my last adventure happened. I had stumbled upon him in a cave during a rain storm. Mew was under the impression that I was trying to capture him and transformed me into an infantile Vulpix. Later, MK had joined us on our quest to free his mom, and had grown quite attached to Sam. Unfortunately, Sam didn't feel quite the same attachment. In reality, he found the young Mew's antics to be rather annoying.

"_Fine, I'll just go back to sleep and forget about Katlyn and the fact that I felt her use her pendant."_ MK huffed. Everyone froze and stared at the Mew.

"You can feel when the pendants are used?" Sam asked incredulously.

"_Yep, and if you can find where she went to use it I might be able to track her."_ MK replied with a toothy grin.

"Lawrence, get sniffing." I said.

Lawrence led us through town for several hours. Apparently, Katlyn had zigzagged through town several times, making it that much harder to track her. Finally, as dawn began to break, we found where Katlyn had used her pendant. There were several orange and white feathers lingering in the alley as proof of the event.

"Alright, MK. You're up." Sam said as the young Mew appeared next to his trainer.

"_This might take a second. I've never done this before." _MK said as he floated over the spot. His eyes glowed a bright blue. The feathers began to swirl around as if the wind had swept through the grungy alley. Suddenly, the feathers shot in the air and began to fly off.

"Follow those feathers!" I yelled as I took off down the road.

Abruptly, the feathers fluttered to the ground. Seconds later, MK fell to the ground as well, no longer able to continue floating. Sam knelt down and picked the little Mew up and cradled him. Sam smiled as MK's bright blue eyes looked up at him apologetically.

"_Sorry, I didn't think it would take this much __out of me."_

"Hey, you did good. Is there any way to keep it out?" Sam said with a smile.

"_I think so, as long as I don't have to concentrate on anything else."_ MK replied as his eyes flashed blue again.

MK was not able to keep the feathers up for long, but it did give us a direction to go. Apparently, Katlyn was traveling west to Catallia City. The trip would have taken here several days on foot; since she was flying, I had to assume she had already made it there. That left us trying to guess where she could have gone. Aside from the numerous non-trainer towns, highways, and interstates, the only place Katlyn could go as a trainer was Cherrygrove City. All other towns that weren't on the designated trainer stops were off limits to active trainers unless you lived in one of those cities.

"I don't think she would go there." Sam said as we walked.

"I don't see any other option." I replied.

"Why would she go through all of the trouble of hiding her escape, if she was going to follow the trainer routes? She almost had to have gone somewhere else." Austin asked.

"What else could she do? Johto is much more strict about where trainers can go on a journey than Kanto. Trainers are not allowed to use public roads that aren't marked for trainer use. Plus trainers are placed on a no fly list that extends to other modes of transportation as well." I explained.

"That doesn't mean that she followed the rules. What you don't get is that she had to do some very dirty work to get you back to normal. Some of the work was very illegal. She knows how to get around the law."

"What are you talking about?" I asked, my eyes narrowing as Austin's mouth clamped shut.

"Screw it," Sam said. "Look, your sister was given the opportunity to get a passkey that would allow us to get into the Rocket base. The cost of that key was spending an entire year as a member of Team Rocket. I don't know all of the details, but I do know that she witnessed a lot of cruel things. You knew that she had been struggling with memories of the Rocket base. It wasn't because of the base, but because of her actions as part of the organization."

"Oh," I muttered.

"Oh? That's it?" Devin asked feigning shock.

"What else can I say? You're right, I didn't know that she had been part of the organization. She didn't tell me."

Devin was about let loose another remark, but Emily stopped him. "Drop it, this is no time to be arguing!"

**Katlyn's POV**

"_It's good that you came fast. Master Giovanni does not like to be kept waiting." _a familiar psychic type said as I debarked the plane.

"I was wondering where I would meet you." I replied as I grabbed my bag and followed the Alakazam from the terminal.

"_Yes well, Master Giovanni thought it unwise to give you a definitive meeting place." _the Alakazam explained.

We walked out of the terminal and out into the passenger pick-up. The airport was busy as people jumped in and out of cabs, valets parked cars, and airport security watched for anyone suspicious. It was almost overwhelming.

The Alakazam led me to a limo parked just outside the main terminal. The Alakazam mentally opened the door for me to climb in. I stopped just before I climbed in. If I got inside that car, I was forever turning my back on the people I cared about. I shook my head and climbed inside, if I didn't do this then things would be much, much worse for them and me.

"Miss Katlyn, it is so good to see you again." a man in a black suit said as I buckled my seat belt.

"Giovanni," I said coldly. My disdain for the man only seemed to make him chuckle.

"The hate in your eyes is very unbecoming of someone so young." Giovanni said with a laugh.

"Laughing is unbecoming of a man that had lost an entire facility due to a couple of children." I shot back.

"You and I both know that you are more than just a simple child. Children have a naive, innocent view of the world. You on the other hand have twenty years of memories, to cloud that innocence."

"Touche," I said. "What do you want?"

"Let's take a drive shall we?" Giovanni said as the car pulled away.

"What do you want?" I asked again.

"You," Giovanni said as he pulled a cigar out of a small cigar box. He snipped off the tip and proceeded to light it. "More specifically, I want the abilities that Mew bestowed on you after you destroyed my facility."

"I don't know what you are talking about." I replied dismissively.

"We both know that isn't true. You used that power to get here correct? It isn't possible for you to have gotten to Golden Rod city from New bark as fast as you did without using it."

I felt my heart drop into my stomach as I realized I had slipped up. Giovanni smiled as he saw my reaction. He had me shaken up and he knew it.

"Well then, are you going to show me this ability?" Giovanni asked.

"Why should I?" I replied through gritted teeth.

"Let's just say that I have a job opportunity for you. First, I need to see the full extent of your abilities."

"What kind of job?"

"All in good time. First, let me see you use your power." Giovanni answered.

I looked down at the pendant and gripped the handle of the door tightly. I was feeling very uneasy about this. I could almost smell deception in the air.

"I think it would be best if I waited until we get to our destination." I replied.

Giovanni's normally arrogant smile turned to a slight frown. "Yes, that would be best, wouldn't it."

The limo twisted and turned through the city until it reached the outskirts of town. Trees filled both sides of the highway as we drove. There was a few fields here and there, but with most of the farming done west, there really much use farming these tiny plots.

"Sir, we are almost to the gate; would you like me to blacken the windows?" the driver asked as he turned to look at us.

"That won't be necessary. After all, my associate needs to see where she would be working out of." the mob boss said.

The driver turned around and continued driving. A couple of minutes later, we turned onto a dirt road with large trees on each side. The rough and dusty road pelted the limo relentlessly. It felt like we were being attacked by an angry mob as we got closer to the destination. After about five minutes, we emerged into a clearing. The clearing was about one hundred acres, which explained why we had to drive so long to get to the facility in question. Not far from the treeline was a large wire fence. It was about nine feet tall with large amounts of razor wire curled along the top. A little guard station sat next to the road. _TORKEC Aeronautics, _decorated a small sign in front of the guard post.

"May I see your security passes please?" a lone guard asked as the limo pulled up. When the guard looked in the back, he nearly jumped out of his skin. "Mr. Giove Riccelli, sir! I am so sorry for the hold up!"

"It is no problem. I pay you to hold people up. I cannot be mad at someone who is only doing their job." Giovanni said with a smile.

"Thank you sir. Let me get the gate open." the guard said as he rushed inside his station. A second later, the gate arm slowly rose up, allowing the limo to pass underneath it.

"Aeronautics?" I asked as we passed though the gate.

"Team Rocket has subsidiaries in almost every known industry." Giovanni said.

"So that is where your money comes from. It definitely was coming from the small number of Pokémon your grunts manage to steal." I spat.

"Team Rocket is much more than a simple gang. You of all people should know that."

**Caleb's POV**

"There has to be a faster way of getting there!" I shouted.

"Yelling won't help anything." Devin said.

According to our maps, we were only about a quarter of the way through. With night quickly coming, we would have to bunk down for the night which would kill about eight hours itself. I couldn't see how we were going to catch up with her. I feared that she was already way out of our reach.

"Caleb, you going to help me set up camp, or are you just going to sit there?" Austin asked as he began pulling out a tent and stakes.

"We are wasting time." I grumbled as I stood.

"We aren't going anywhere tired." Austin replied. "Even, if we did manage to get there tomorrow, we wouldn't be in any shape to start searching for someone."

"Austin is right, Caleb." Sam said as he began lighting a fire. "Besides, Katlyn has to sleep sometime so she is probably not going to get much farther tonight either."

I sighed, knowing they were both right. Austin and I finished setting up the tents while Sam and Emily started cooking. Meanwhile Devin had gone off to get more firewood. We didn't talk a whole lot while this went on. Despite everyone's reassurances, nobody wanted to rest. We were all very worried about what could have happened to Katlyn.

After an hour or two, the fire was starting to grow dim. Its embers flitted through the air on a dying pillar of heat before becoming too cold and falling back down to the moist earth below. Austin looked at the pile of wood Devin had built up and debated whether or not to add more to the dying pile.

"I'm going to bed." I said as I stood up.

"I think I will too." Devin said as he followed me to one of the tents.

"Do you think he will be ok?" I heard Emily ask.

"He'll be fine. He's just worried." Austin sighed.

"Yeah, I am _just _worried." I muttered to myself.

I waited until everyone was asleep before I grabbed my bag and my clothes. I quietly unzipped the door of the tent and stepped out into the chilly night air. It was about three in the morning right now so the sky was at its darkest. Add the fact that we were in the middle of a forest and you had a darkness that could make you go crazy.

I crept away from the camp, making sure I avoided the now smoldering fire. I looked back once before starting down the path. Once out of sight, I grabbed Lawrence's Pokéball and gave it a toss.

I then grabbed my pendant and willed its power to burst forth. I felt the changes practically explode and soon I had tossed away my human form for one much better suited for tracking. Lawrence stared at me for several seconds as my changes finally finished.

"You really want to do this?_"_ Lawrence asked.

"I don't have a choice._"_ I muttered.

"Alright, then let's get moving. We aren't going to have much of a head start, but we should be able to reach Catallia if we run most of the way. There might also be predators around too. Do you really think you are up for it?_"_

"Of course I am. I have a lot more energy than I used to._" _I replied as we both took off through the woods.

**Sam's POV**

I was about to go after them, but I couldn't. Something told me I shouldn't; that it was a path only Caleb and Katlyn could take. That didn't mean that we wouldn't look for them, it just meant that we wouldn't actively search for them. I knew Austin, Emily, and Devin would be pissed. That is something they will just have to get over as far as I was concerned. Besides, I had a feeling that we would see them both very soon.

I turned just to see MK hovering behind me. _"It was good for you to let them go."_

"I just have this feeling that if we go with them we would slow them down." I said with a sigh.

"_Sam, those two are intertwined with something that will force both Caleb and Katlyn to make a choice. That choice will ripple into the way humans and Pokémon look at the world." _MK said ominously.

"Does it have to do with the base?" I asked somberly.

"_More than the base; I am afraid." _MK replied.

"What should we do?"

"_Be there when the time comes."_ the little Mew replied. _"Until then, let's beat some gyms and get the other three back home!"_

I nodded with a smile and went back to the tent. Despite wrapping myself back up in my sleeping bag, I knew I wasn't going back to sleep. I rolled over to see Marik sleeping soundly. I sighed as I envied the sleeping Luxio. While he didn't have to worry about anything, I had to figure out what I was going to tell the others.

"MK?" I asked through the darkness. "Do you think you could talk to Elweard, Teresa, and Brand? It might make Austin, Devin, and Emily less likely to mutilate my corpse if their own Pokémon are there to restrain them."

MK laughed as he did a flip in the air. _"Sam, you are funny! Do you really think they would try to kill you for this?"_

"Yes," I deadpanned.

"_Oh," _MK mumbled as he stopped laughing and stared at the ground. _"Alright, I'll tell them."_

A moment later, MK was back inside his Pokéball and I could rest easy again. MK may be young, but he had sway with the other Pokémon. Part of it was because he was Mew's son. The other part was that he had been a huge help in the past when we had rescued Caleb. I frowned for a moment as I remembered some of MK's antics when he first showed up. I shook my head and decided that the little Mew was an alright friend.

"Maybe I should treat him better." I said as I laid my head down on my pillow.

As my head hit the pillow, I felt a crunch and something sticky on the back of my head. I bolted up and reached for my flashlight. I shined it on my pillow and saw that it was covered with egg yolk and broken egg shells.

"Or maybe I'll just strangle the little beast!" I whispered angrily.

"You really shouldn't let little jokes like that bother you._"_ Marik said with long yawn.

"Easy for you to say." I muttered as I took the pillow case off and unzipped the protector.

"One day, you may miss these kinds of jokes. The days of being carefree are over._"_ Marik replied.

"No, they aren't over, just put on hold. We will get back to those days soon. Once Katlyn and Caleb figure out what they want to do." I said quietly.

"I hope you are right._"_ Marik said with another yawn.

* * *

I hope you guys found this chapter entertaining. It was a bit difficult for me to write as I wasn't sure if I wanted to have three different adventures happening at the same time, but the more I thought about it. The more I figured I would do something similar in Caleb's place. Either way I hope you found it enjoyable. If you have anything you want to say be sure to leave a review or PM me! If you are enjoying the story, be sure to smash that favorite/follow button! This is shieldliger001 signing off!


	3. Chapter 3

Holy crap guys! I haven't published anything on this story since December of last year! I hope you guys enjoy the chapter! On to the Story!

* * *

The truth is we're all searching. We're all looking for guidance, for mentors, and I'm by no means someone to follow.

**Jason Momoa**

* * *

**Chapter 3**

**Caleb's POV**

"How are you holding up?_"_ Lawrence asked as dawn began to break.

"I'm fine. Am getting a little hungry though._"_ I admitted.

We had finally made it through the forest and to the outskirts of Catallia. From here, we would make our way through the city with me in my human form. Lawrence would be outside of his Pokéball to see if he could pick up any traces of Katlyn's scent. If luck was on our side, we would find Katlyn within the day.

"This place is pretty neat._"_ Lawrence said as he looked around. _"_It kinda looks like Lavender Town with all these old buildings._"_

"Yeah, I guess." I mumbled as we continued walking. We decided to go through the older parts of town, thinking Katlyn may have avoided the newer, wider areas.

"Are you going to be like this the entire time we are looking?_"_ Lawrence asked. _"_I get it, Katlyn is your sister and we are all worried about her. With that said, being a grouch about her running off isn't going to help you find her._"_

"I am not a grouch!" I yelled a little too loudly, eliciting stares from surrounding pedestrians. I looked down at my feet out of embarrassment and pushed my way through the crowd. "See what you did? You are drawing attention to us!"

"No, you are drawing attention. I am just a cute little Vulpix walking with my trainer._"_

I bit back a retort when I noticed all the people still staring as we walked. I lowered my head and stared at the ground as embarrassment burned in my cheeks. The stares subsided a little, but I was definitely on people's radar now. Seeing as how I wasn't exactly supposed to be by myself in public, that wasn't exactly a good thing.

"Hey you," a voice called out as we continued down the street.

"Crap, its the cops." I muttered to Lawrence as we continued walking.

"What do you want to do?_"_ Lawrence asked as we slowed down a little.

"On the count of three, we run. If we can get enough distance between us, we can duck into an alley and I can transform into a Vulpix." I replied.

The police officer began to head in our direction. I was beginning to have flashbacks to when we were still trying to reverse my transformation. As the officer got closer I began to tense up. It was as if I was excited for the chase to begin. The cop was coming directly for us. We waited for him to come closer. Once he was within arm's reach, Lawrence and I leapt toward the nearby alley. The maneuver was executed flawlessly as we easily got out of the cop's path.

"Hey, guys break it up! This isn't the place for an after party nap!" the cop said as he walked right past the alley toward a pair of drunken college students passed out on the side walk. Maybe I wasn't the one attracting the crowd's attention!

"All that work and he wasn't even bothered to look in our direction." I muttered as heat filled my cheeks.

"That was embarrassing._"_ Lawrence laughed as we exited the alley. _"_What were you saying about not drawing attention to us?_"_

"Shut up," I muttered as we continued down the street.

"I think I know where she is heading._"_ Lawrence suddenly piped up.

"Where?"

"I think she is going to the airport. I can smell the fumes of jet exhaust nearby and the longer we walk down this street the stronger it gets._"_

"That's not good," I muttered. I ran up to a couple that was sitting on a nearby bench and put on my best 'I'm an innocent child' face. "Excuse me, but is the airport close to here?"

The couple looked at me for several seconds before smiling. "It's just up the road. If you keep going straight, you can't miss it."

"Thanks!" I said with a wave as I took off down the road.

It only took us another ten minutes before we found the airport. It wasn't the biggest one I had ever seen, but it was big enough to accommodate all of the larger airlines. Though it could only handle the smaller jets from those companies. Using Lawrence's nose, we were able to find the gate she had been at, but the plane was long gone. I should have guessed that this wouldn't be easy, but hope was an irrational thing.

"So, we are back to square one._"_ Lawrence muttered as we sat outside the airport.

"How old do you think her scent trail was?" I asked as I pulled out my phone.

"I'd say at least ten hours old._"_ Lawrence replied.

I quickly pulled up the airport's website up and began looking at today's schedule. Luckily, the website was fairly modern, making it easy to navigate. I quickly pulled up the specific gate and stared intently at the schedule. It looked like the plane had been destined for Golden Rod City. I couldn't help but groan. Even if we had the money to get a plane ticket, we wouldn't be able to make it to Golden Rod before tomorrow.

"What do we do now?_" _Lawrence asked.

"I don't have a clue. We could head to Cherrygrove or we could wait for the others to get here." I said with a sigh of defeat.

"It will take them awhile for them to get here._"_ Lawrence answered. _"_If we wait too long, we may not find her at all._"_

"I don't know how we are going to get there! Golden Rod is literally hundreds of miles away! The only other option we have is catching a largish flying type but those are rare!" I shouted. I could feel Katlyn slipping away. It was a horrible, gut wrenching feeling.

"I say we run to Cherrygrove then to Violet City. If we can get there we can talk to the gym leader there._"_ Lawrence suggested.

"What good will that do?" I muttered glumly.

"Dude, Falkner is a flying type specialist. If we talk to him he may be willing to fly us to Golden Rod. Besides, you said it before, we don't have the money for a plane ticket._"_

"Alright, let's do that then. How long do you think it will take to get to Violet City?"

"I'd say we can make it there in three days. Just don't expect to be human until we get there._"_

"Assuming we don't run into any trouble, and if Falkner is willing to take us, we could be in Golden Rod in four or five days." I calculated. "Do you think you will be able to pick up Katlyn's scent?"

"I should be able to if we can get to the gate that she arrived at._"_

"Alright then, it looks like we have a plan. As soon as we get out of town, I'll transform and we'll take off!" I said my determination rekindled.

**Sam's POV**

"I still can't believe you just let them go!" Austin shouted as we walked down the road toward Catallia.

The morning had not been kind to me. While Elweard and Teresa had not strangled me out right, they didn't refrain Austin and the others from nearly killing me. If MK hadn't of performed some of his magic, I probably would have been six feet under right now. MK did seem to care about me, I realized. Unfortunately, that seemed to be shown in a multitude of irritating ways. At the moment, I was grateful.

"I told you before, I was going to stop them. It just felt like I shouldn't. I think I would have regretted it if I had stopped them." I explained for what felt like the millionth time.

"You could have at least told us sooner." Devin muttered as he dragged behind. He never was much for all of this traveling. Especially since he had shorter legs than everyone else.

"If I had done that then you guys would have chased after them." I replied with a sigh.

"At least we would have been closer to them by now. Who knows where they could be! Hell, they could already be on the other side of Johto by now!" Emily spat.

Of our group, she was probably the most responsible. Of course this made her the most nagging of the group as well. Not to mention her over protectiveness was on par with my mother. I could see so many similarities between the two that it felt like I was traveling with a younger version of my mother. Needless to say, it got very annoying very fast.

The next several hours consisted of us walking through a semi forested area. The trees were too far apart to be considered a forest. There were several very large clearings between equally large clumps of trees. The route we were taking was easy to follow and was well maintained. On any other day, this would be an awesome time for a morning hike.

"Have any ideas what we are going to do next?" Austin asked gruffly.

"I figured we would just keep heading towards the first gym." I replied.

"What are you going to do if we don't find Katlyn and Caleb before we get to Ilex forest?" Devin asked quietly. That was obviously the question Austin wanted to ask.

"I figure I can continue on my gym challenge and keep looking for clues. It's a small world after all, and those two are bound to continue traveling. I'm sure that I will run into them sometime. Besides, traveling by myself has a few perks too." I said cheerily, though I was hurting inwardly.

"You don't have to fake it. We can tell that their leaving hurt you." Emily said quietly.

"I'm not faking it! Seriously, there are some awesome advantages to traveling alone. I won't have to worry about other people, I can travel to where I want, heck I can even travel at my own pace. I don't have to rush to save someone or get someone home! It sounds pretty amazing if you ask me." I continued with a nonchalant smile.

"Sam," Emily whispered quietly as she put her arm around my shoulder.

The dam burst. All of my pent up emotions I had been hiding since Katlyn disappeared seemed to lash out all at once. Tears streamed down my face no matter how hard I tried to hold them back. I was hurt. Katlyn was my best friend, we had been traveling together ever since we became trainers. We had been through so much together that I thought we would never be separate. Then she disappeared with no explanation aside from a piece of paper that no one could read.

Then there was Caleb. He was the reason I had even met Katlyn. If he hadn't of gotten himself cursed, Katlyn would still be in college and I would be traveling around Kanto by myself. His misadventure had caused a lot of good things to happen. Then he left. He didn't even bother with a letter. It was almost like everything we had gone through didn't mean a single thing to him. His leaving was like swimming in the ocean after cutting open your foot on a rock. It hurt more than anything else on the planet.

"It's ok, we'll find them." Emily comforted.

"No," I replied through my tears. "You three need to go home. I will looking for them after Celebi takes you home."

"They're our friends too, you know." Devin piped up.

"Look, you guys haven't been home in a long time. If anyone deserves to get what they want, it's you guys." I replied.

"I tell you what, we can look for them until we make it to the Ilex Forest. I don't think a few extra weeks of traveling will matter to a Pokémon like Celebi." Austin said with a smile.

**Katlyn's POV**

"This facility is one of the most advanced research institutions in the world. While it is used mostly for aeronautics, we also have a few labs set aside for other projects." Giovanni explained as he led the way through the building.

"I am assuming that these labs are underground?" I asked.

"That is a very good guess, Miss Katlyn." Giovanni praised. "Having the labs underground makes them easier to keep secure. After all, we wouldn't want rivals to get a hold of our research."

"Are you talking about business rivals, or the underground fanatics? After all, I'm sure that the other teams out there would love to get a hold of your tech."

"The other teams? Pah! The others teams hold too many fantasies. Some want to make more land or water, others want to rewrite the universe. The reason they are always close to disappearing is that they stretch themselves thin for an impossible goal." Giovanni said with a frown.

"But your goals aren't fantasy?" I asked sarcastically.

"Tell me, who controls an election? Why do nations go to war? How do some people go from having nothing to being powerful? The answer is simple if you think about it." Giovanni said as we entered an elevator. He typed in a pass code and the elevator began its descent. "Money. Money is able to get you anything you can desire. If you want to win an election, you pay off the right people and you win. Countries go to war for the riches. In years past that was gold, jewels, and land. Now it is oil. Those that start with nothing earn a little money then they are shrewd with it. Many times, those who had only a little now own half the world."

"I take it that you are that last example."

"That is an excellent guess."

"What more do you want?" I asked, hoping he would let something useful slip.

"To leave a mark. One that will never be forgotten." Giovanni replied simply. His eyes were strangely sad.

His answer felt different than I expected. It felt genuine, almost painful. Was I starting to empathizes with the leader of Team Rocket? I quickly dumped those thoughts from my memory. I would never see Giovanni as anything more than a monster in human form.

"Now that we are in private," Giovanni began as he tapped a button on the elevator panel. I felt my ears pop suddenly and it felt like the air was compressing my skull. "I apologize for the discomfort. The privacy field in the elevator is a new piece of tech we are testing. It unfortunately causes some minor side effects to those who have never used one before. You will get used to it in a minute or two."

"I will kill you," I grated out as my skull throbbed. Slowly the pain began to subside and I was able to regain my composure.

"I want you to show me your transformation ability." Giovanni said much more forcefully than before. His entire demeanor had changed. The Giovanni I had been talking to was looking to be amused. The Giovanni before me now was the one that wouldn't hesitate to shoot someone who failed him.

I took out my pendant and stared at it for several seconds before I focused on the little trinket. I felt the glow of heat radiate from the core of my body. The prickling sensation of feathers growing and the crackling of my bones reshaping was almost exhilarating. There was something freeing when I was transforming. It was as if I were a phoenix in the middle of rebirth. These feelings subsided and I was left on the ground. My clothes and other belongs winked from existence as they entered the pocket dimension Mew had created for the pendants. My pendant shrunk to accommodate my small size. I couldn't help but wonder briefly if I could evolve like a regular Pokémon. It would definitely be an interesting experience.

"I must admit that I am thoroughly impressed." Giovanni said as he slowly clapped. "Though, I am disappointed that you fell for such an obvious trap."

Suddenly, the bottom of the elevator began to fill up with a white gas. I stared up at the mob boss in shock and anger. The man only smirked as he watched me become drowsy. I couldn't fight the tiredness for long.

"I am sure you are wondering why this compound is not working on me. It is quite simple really. The gas is heavier than air, therefore it does not reach high enough to affect me. Had you waited until our elevator reached the bottom floor, I would have had to use more drastic methods." he explained as I passed out.

**Third Person POV**

The elevator slowed to a halt and opened up. The Team Rocket boss stepped off with his prize firmly but carefully in hand. The man was pleased with how well his plan had worked out. Though he originally planned for the girl to have been subdued in the limousine, the girl had proven to have been shrewder than he had given her credit for. Had the elevator plan failed, he would have had to resort to mind control or other invasive procedures in order to get what he wanted. Said procedures drastically reduced the chances of Katlyn being able to activate the amulet. Once they retrieved the amulet and did some tests on the girl, she would be disposed of properly. Though, he was tempted to keep her as a pet. A bird locked in a cage in his office, the thought made him smile.

"Dr. Carp, I have the subject in my care. I will make the delivery in person. Do not keep me waiting." Giovanni said into his comm, a little device he had on his wrist.

"This is Dr. Carp. I will be in the laboratory by the time you arrive."

With that out of the way, Giovanni took a stroll through the base. While it was important that the doctor began his tests immediately, the mob boss wanted to savor his success for a little while longer. Suddenly, an idea struck him. Giovanni saw several grunts doing maintenance on what looked to be a water line. He smiled and approached the minions.

"How are the maintenance checks going gentlemen?"

The three grunts spun around faster than a Hitmontop. "Boss!"

"Do not fret, I am here to see if you can help me with something. Do any of you have a spare Pokéball?" Giovanni asked patiently.

One of the grunts rummaged through his pockets and pulled out a standard Pokéball the size of a marble. Giovanni accepted the ball and enlarged it. He was about to tap the sleeping Fletchling with orb but quickly thought better of it. Instead, he shrunk the Pokéball back to its marble size and placed it in his pocket. He decided to let the scientist run their tests before he punished the traitor in his hand he didn't want to cause errant results.

"Giovanni, sir. We are ready to receive the subject at your earliest convenience." his comm chimed.

"I am on my way." Giovanni replied as he started toward the lab.

Dr. Carp was a very brilliant man, but he lacked imagination. If Dr. Mitchel had not disappeared during the fighting in Kanto, Giovanni would have handed over this project to him. Alas, you take what you can get.

"Doctor," Giovanni said curtly as he entered the lab.

"Ah, Mr. Giovanni. I must admit, I am excited to begin this project. If we can harness the power this subject has, it will be a technological breakthrough! Just the ability to store items in a separate dimension without the need of enormous amounts of power, would change the very way we look at the world."

"Do not get ahead of yourself Doctor. First, I want to know whether or not the pendants are matched to their owners or if they can be swapped. Once you find that out, I want you to give the subject back to me unharmed. I have plans for her. She has caused us more than a few setbacks."

"Yes, yes, yes," the doctor said as he began preparations of the different pieces of equipment he would need. "I believe we will have our answer in the next hour or so."

"If we do need her specifically to activate the pendant, what do suggest going forward?"

"If we do need her. We could use clones, however that would take much longer than I would like. Personally, I would suggest gene therapy. If we do gene therapy, it would would be limited to females. However, it would take much less time than cloning and finding volunteers should be a simple task."

"I see," Giovanni said thoughtfully. "I want your preliminary findings as soon as you have them. If you succeed, you will find yourself generously rewarded. Do not fail me."

"I will do my absolute best." the scientist said as Giovanni left the laboratory.

**Sam's POV**

We made it to Catallia just before sun down. Most of the crowds were slowly dispersing, leaving the sidewalks and roads clear. The group's first order of business was finding lodging. That was simple enough as all we had to do was check in with the local Pokémon center.

"Can we please stop?" Devin whined. He had nearly fallen asleep while walking. A very easy thing to do when you were as young as Devin was.

"Look, we are almost there. Once we get to the Pokémon center, you can go to sleep." Austin said.

"I'm not tired, I just need to sit down for a minute!" Devin replied animatedly, though his short burst of energy lasted for only a second.

"Guys, I'm gonna look around town to see if I can find any clues on where Caleb could be," I said as I broke away from the group. I pulled out Marik's Pokéball and released the Luxio from his confines.

"Let me guess, you want to look for Caleb?_"_ the electric type asked.

"Yeah," I said quietly.

We wondered around Catallia for several hours. We would meet people from time to time, but it was mostly just stragglers running home for the night. As we passed by the airport, Marik finally found their sent. The trail led to the airport but then back to the main road. I was relieved when we found this. It meant that we really could catch up to Caleb if we hurried. We followed the trail until we hit the city limits. In all we had walked nearly nine miles throughout the city.

Once we confirmed his direction, we turned back and made our way to the Pokémon center. Austin and Emily were still awake, while Devin was curled up in bed. I conveyed what we had learned. Austin seemed indifferent to the news while Emily seemed relieved. I couldn't blame Austin for his indifference. He was tired, and ready to go home. On top of that, Caleb and Lawrence made the choice to leave. As far as Austin was concerned his job had ended once Caleb was human and somewhat back to normal.

"When do you want to head out tomorrow?" I asked as I finished getting ready for bed.

"I figure we can get breakfast from the cafeteria tomorrow morning then head out straight after." Austin said as he crawled into bed. "Why do you care so much about finding Caleb and Katlyn? I get that you three have traveled together for the last year, but that isn't enough time to really build a relationship."

"Because they are family to me. We literally haven't been apart since we became trainers. We literally walked through hell and back. That's all there really is to it."

"I'm sorry," Austin said suddenly.

"For what?"

"I have been pretty callous about all of this. We are so close to home and we are so burned out that I have been thinking about nothing else except for getting Devin and Emily home."

"I can't blame you for that." I said. "We will talk about this tomorrow. I really need to get some sleep."

* * *

Man guys, I had to brush the dust off the cogs for this one. I have had a lot of new things happen in my life and this story kind of got forgotten. I can't say that I will be very consistent with new chapters but I really hope to get back into the swing of things. As always, if you have anything to say be sure to leave a comment or pm me. If you really liked the story be sure to smash that favorite/follow button! This is shieldliger001 signing off!


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